DRAFT Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness prevention strategy 2019-2021
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DRAFT Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness prevention strategy 2019-2021
DRAFT
Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness
prevention strategy 2019-2021
CONTENTS
Page 1
DRAFT Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness prevention strategy 2019-2021 Page 2
DRAFT
Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness
prevention strategy 2019-2021
FOREWORD
This is a strategy for Sunderland which sets out a framework to prevent and eliminate homelessness from our
city but it must also be seen in the context of society as a whole. Homelessness touches everything we do
and impacts on health, the economy, education, crime, families, neighbourhoods and policing. It affects us all.
Homelessness is everyone’s responsibility and this strategy shows that if everyone plays their part we can
make real progress in not just tackling homelessness but improving life for our people, our communities
and our society. Homelessness must be ‘brought in from the cold’ and the margins of society to be
embraced by everyone.
This strategy is written at a time of considerable change within the homelessness sector. The
Homelessness Reduction Act presents the most significant change in the sector since 1977. The Act,
introduced in April 2018, introduced new duties and places a firm focus on prevention and advice; aiming
to stop homelessness at it source.
The increased duties come at a time of accumulative austerity measures and in the shadow of
decommissioned services as a result of removal of the ring-fence of the Supporting People Grant. It is
therefore important that we do things differently and reach out widely to work with our partners in order to
achieve shared goals of homelessness prevention and intervention. Homelessness is everybody’s business
and it is clear from the joint working that has taken place to develop this strategy, that there is a real
commitment at all levels to eliminate homelessness and to improve the lives of some of the most
vulnerable people in our city. Those working to support our most vulnerable residents must be
commended for the work they have done and continue to do.
There are some overwhelming trends that have become evident as part of the review process which are
the main reasons leading to homelessness in the city. Whilst our residents living in social rented tenancies
have an abundance of support to help them maintain their tenancy, those living in the private rented
sector do not. The impact of welfare reform and shortage of services to support people in this tenure has
resulted in loss of private tenancy being one of the most common causes of homelessness. Alongside this,
parental exclusion is also one of the most common causes of homelessness. We need to develop a better
understanding of what can be done to mediate or provide support in these situations to deliver better
outcomes for all involved.
Homelessness can affect anyone, at any time and for many reasons. We know that in Sunderland the
individuals who are seeking assistance from services are becoming more and more complex and many
people have multiple needs. Our future offer, which is detailed in the action plan, must be flexible enough
to deal with the challenges that this presents and to provide a whole range of housing options which
reduces dependence on private hostel accommodation. This will help us to achieve our ambition of
ensuring that everybody has a suitable home to live in and has the right level of skills and support to be
able to sustain it.
Because of the commitment and enthusiasm demonstrated by all of the partners working in the city, I full of
hope and optimism for what is otherwise a desolate and despondent state. I want to set the standards high
and as part of the action plan have challenged the partnership to develop a Homelessness Charter which will
introduce a set of standards about how people who are faced with homelessness should be treated. I look
forward to working with you all to turn the words on these pages into real and effective action.
Cllr Stuart Porthouse
Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regeneration
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Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness
prevention strategy 2019-2021
INTRODUCTION
This strategy and action plan shows how we will tackle homelessness in Sunderland with a strong
emphasis on the early intervention and prevention of homelessness. We know that preventing
homelessness is more cost effective than dealing with the aftermath and also delivers far better
outcomes for the individuals concerned.
The review has helped us to gain a better understanding of the triggers of homelessness in the city and
there are many reasons why people end up presenting to the council as homeless including relationship
breakdown or the end of a tenancy. These triggers are often coupled with other issues such as mental
health needs or substance misuses (or both) which result in a ‘tip’ into homelessness. This is why it is so
important that we view the prevention of homelessness as not just a housing issue but that we work with
partners to address some of the underlying issues in a proactive way.
On average 2,000 households approach Sunderland City Council each year for assistance relating to
homelessness and housing advice. Early indications following on from the implementation of the
Homelessness Reduction Act show that numbers of people being accepted under the new duties of relief
and prevention are increasing. Data collected between April 2018 and October 2018 shows:
Sunderland data since April 2018 to November 2018
1,258 clients applied for
Housing Advice
892 Homeless Reduction Act Applications
136 households 224 households
threatened with threatened with 94 Assessed as 16 Homeless
homelessness homelessness not homeless Acceptances
prevented relieved
As well as…
25 applications withdrawn prior to assessment 48 people funded for hostel accommodation
83 households placed in temporary accomodation
Page 5DRAFT Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness prevention strategy 2019-2021 The increase in demand for services is a challenge for an area that has been so hard hit by austerity measures. It is therefore even more important that we constantly challenge the way we work to make the most effective use of resources to tackle the issues that have been presented. We know that we cannot achieve this alone. The complex people that walk through the doors of the Housing Options Team are often known to health, the criminal justice system, social services and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). Quite often people are known to other local authorities outside of Sunderland and we need to continue to work regionally and nationally to share best practice and apply this locally so that we can get the best outcomes for individuals and for the area. Together we need to tackle the root causes of homelessness by creating opportunities for people to break the cycle of chaos that they are in. We are lucky to have such a wealth of high quality service providers in the city and each one of them has a role to play in achieving the prevention of homelessness, intervention to those who need our support and a range of sustainable housing solutions to meet all needs. The Homelessness Strategy for Sunderland does not stand alone and most of the priorities and actions within it operate alongside existing strategies, plans and policies. The national and local context for this strategy is set out below. Strategy development process The following agencies are committed to delivering the Strategy and are members of the Homelessness Strategy Working Group: • Sunderland City Council • Back on the Map • Bernicia • Changing Lives • Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) • Gentoo • Homeless Link • Home Group • NACRO • Northumbria Police Service • Northumbria Probation Service • Oasis Aquila • Private Hostels (Ashley Foundation, Norfolk Hotel, Tatham Lodge and Salvation Army) • Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group • Together for Children (TFC) • YMCA Page 6
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Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness
prevention strategy 2019-2021
Strategic context
National
Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
Since April 2018 the Homelessness Reduction Act1 placed a duty on local authorities to intervene at an
earlier stage to prevent homelessness and to take reasonable steps to help those who become homeless
to secure accommodation.
The Act introduced a change to the point at which a person is classed as being threatened with
homelessness from 28 days before a person is likely to become homeless to 56 days.
It requires local housing authorities to provide new homelessness services to all people in their area and
also expands the categories of people who they have to help to find accommodation.
A new duty is placed on local housing authorities to assess all eligible applicants’ cases and agree a
personalised housing plan.
There is also a new duty on public bodies to notify councils when they are concerned that someone may
be homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Rough Sleeping Programme and Rough Sleeper Strategy
The Government has embarked on an ambitious programme, working with local areas and across
Government, to fundamentally reform the response to homelessness. The aim is to put prevention at the
heart of this approach to reduce the number of people who face a homelessness crisis in the first place.
The programme, which was launched in 2016, included a £10 million rough sleeping grant fund, to help
new rough sleepers2 or people at imminent risk of sleeping rough, get the rapid support they need. The aim
was to reduce the flow of new rough sleepers to the street through more targeted prevention activity. It is
aimed at those at imminent risk of sleeping rough, to ensure they get the help they need before spending
a single night on the streets and to recover and move-on from their homelessness. In Sunderland, funding
was provided by DCLG in March 2017 for a two year pilot to be delivered in a partnership with South
Tyneside Council to provide a Homeless Response Service. The service has two distinct operational areas,
Rough Sleeper Engagement and Housing First; the latter based on the international model first used in Los
Angeles, USA in 1988. Housing First is an alternative to a system of temporary accommodation or
transitional housing progressions. The model rather than moving homeless individuals through different
levels of housing, whereby each level is designed to move the individual closer to independent housing,
moves the homeless individual immediately from the streets or homeless hostel into their own properties.
The Rough Sleeping Strategy3 was published in August 2018 and is based around three core pillars:
Prevention, Intervention and Recovery. The Strategy recognises that homelessness is everybody’s issue and
that communities, businesses and society need to come together to make rough sleeping history. These
pillars are the thread running through the Strategy for Sunderland and the approach is embedded within
our action plan.
1
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homelessness-code-of-guidance-for-local-authorities/overview-of-the-homelessness-legislation
2
Official statistics provide the following definition of people sleeping rough:
People sleeping, about to bed down (sitting on/in or standing next to their bedding) or actually bedded down in the open air (such as on the streets, in tents, doorways, parks, bus
shelters or encampments). People in buildings or other places not designed for habitation (such as stairwells, barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, stations, or “bashes” which are
makeshift shelters, often comprised of cardboard boxes).The definition does not include people in hostels or shelters, people in campsites or other sites used for recreational purposes
or organised protest, squatters or travellers.
3
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-rough-sleeping-strategy
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Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness
prevention strategy 2019-2021
Local
Sunderland Housing Strategy 2017-2022. Growth, choice, quality4
Sunderland’s Housing Strategy sets out a clear direction for how it will work with partners, residents and
communities to offer more choice in housing by developing new homes and improving existing
neighbourhoods. This will help communities be sustainable in the longer term and contribute to the city’s
prosperity and wellbeing. It strongly commits to supporting our most vulnerable residents to gain access
and maintain good quality housing which meets their needs.
The strategy is divided into three chapters which reflect our three greatest housing priorities;
• maximising housing growth and increasing the choice of housing
• making the best use of existing homes and improving our neighbourhoods
• supporting vulnerable people to access and maintain housing.
This Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Prevention Strategy sits under the umbrella of supporting
vulnerable people, which recognises that everyone has the right to access a good quality home to allow
them to lead a fulfilling and independent life.
We believe that communities must respond to the needs of all its members, including those who are
vulnerable, in order to be strong, inclusive and sustainable. We recognise that vulnerability is not necessarily
permanent and therefore provision for a range of general needs and specialist support services to ensure
people lead healthy and happy lives is important.
Sunderland’s housing market
Sunderland lies in the heart of the North East and boasts a magnificent coastline along with expansive
green space and a vibrant city. Sunderland is well placed for jobs and amenities and with over 275,000
residents, the city is a great place to live and work.
Across Sunderland there are a total of 127,393 dwellings and a total of 124,496 households. Sunderland’s
housing market is characterised by a lower than national level of owner occupation (59.2% compared with
62.6%) and private renting (12.9% compared with 20.3%) and a higher than average level of social renting
(27.4% compared with 17.1%). In Sunderland approximately 23% of households are claiming Housing
Benefit, compared with a UK average of 15.36%. Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates for Sunderland are
significantly lower than neighbouring city, Newcastle. Our shared accommodation rate is almost 20% lower
and our four bedroom rate is around 8% lower, meaning that the amount of funding coming from central
Government as Housing Benefit subsidy is comparatively lower than our neighbours.
The housing sector is currently experiencing a period of significant change as a consequence of the
financial downturn, financial viability of new developments and changes in government policy, in particular
welfare reform which has resulted in residents and landlords having less money to spend on housing. A key
impact of this has been the increased need of affordable housing for families who can no longer afford to
buy a house at market value and at the same time fewer affordable homes are being built. These changes
have particularly affected our vulnerable families who are turning more and more to the private rented
sector to find homes. Sunderland, like other authorities, has witnessed a growth in the private rented sector,
although the pace has been at a lower level than other areas where private renting has become a larger
tenure group than social renting.
Many homeless households who would have in the past secured a tenancy with councils or housing
associations have no choice but to accept a tenancy in the private rented sector. Whilst the sector plays a
key role in alleviating homelessness this is not without concern; high up-front costs of deposits and rent in
4
https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/article/12805/Housing-Strategy-for-Sunderland-2017-2022
Page 8DRAFT
Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness
prevention strategy 2019-2021
advance are a barrier and some properties are in poor condition with tenancy agreements that do not offer
long-term security. The Crisis Homeless Monitor 2018 also shows that the end of a private rented tenancy
is now the leading reason for homelessness in Britain. Sunderland’s figures (below) concur with this, closely
followed by the family no longer being willing to accommodate individuals.
Most used settled home loss reasons
(HRA Cases April 2018 to September 2018)
177
158
88 86
End of private Family no longer willing Relationship with Domestic abuse
rented tenancy or able to accommodate partner ended
includes loss of both (non-violent breakdown)
assured and non-assured
short hold tenancy
The Sunderland Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) 2017 identifies an imbalance of 542 affordable
housing units (both for affordable rent and affordable home ownership) per annum. The council’s current
requirement for affordable housing is for 10% to be provided on all residential developments of 15 units of
more. This council’s emerging Core Strategy and Development Plan will identify sites to meet this need and
ensure that targets are ambitious enough to achieve the change required and the proportion of affordable
housing units on sites of 10 or more will be increasing to 15%. For many people presenting as homeless,
particularly single people under the age of 35 years, even affordable housing is not a financially viable
option. Single room rent and local housing allowance means that welfare benefits will not cover living costs
in their totality. Like many other areas Sunderland is witnessing a growth in smaller households, in particular
single households. This is reflected in information we hold about households who are in housing need
which shows that single adults under the age of 65 are the largest group of households in housing need,
however it must also be noted that the proportion of the population aged 65 years and over is expected to
increase from 18.6% in 2015 to around one-quarter (24.7%) in 2033.
Our population is also changing. Over recent decades Sunderland has experienced a trend of net out-
migration to surrounding neighbouring authorities and other parts of the UK. This has been particularly
pronounced within the younger age cohorts of the working population, however more recently there is
evidence demonstrating that this trend is changing.
Page 9DRAFT Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness prevention strategy 2019-2021 There are around 2,000 households on the Council’s Housing Register waiting for the offer of an affordable rented home. The current scheme is under review but it is likely that many people on the register may never be offered a home in accommodation of their choice. Equally a number of properties are going through the nominations process but have not been able to be let to applicants on the register. Property location will be a determining factor in the desirability of a property but this is also likely to be a reflection of the imbalance in terms of the type of housing being offered in the city – almost 1,000 applicants have cited a bungalow as their choice of accommodation. Indeed the 2017 SHMA indicates that older people with support needs and single homeless people with support needs were the two largest client groups requiring accommodation in the social rented sector. The new Scheme will reflect changes in welfare reform and homelessness legislation, with a focus on prevention, and will also ensure that the correct infrastructure is in place to deliver the scheme. The SHMA identified that 14,949 or 12% of households within the city were in housing need. The largest category of need was a mismatch of housing need to the dwelling that the household were living in which includes issues like overcrowding or difficulties in maintaining their home. The second largest, which consisted of 2,770 households, was homeless households or insecure tenure including notices having been served or the household being in rent arrears. Sunderland’s health needs The increasingly ageing population will have an impact on health and care services. In addition, Sunderland experiences higher levels of deprivation than the national average. Unhealthy lifestyles remain a key cause for increased rates of premature death. Many people in Sunderland continue to follow unhealthy lifestyle behaviours when compared to England. This is directly linked to a range of social, economic and environmental factors. A key challenge for the Sunderland health economy is the need to manage the high and increasing levels of long term conditions in the population, including increasing proportions of people with multiple long term conditions. Preventing premature deaths due to cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease remains a priority for health partners across the city. This requires a targeted approach to reducing the gap in life expectancy. Current strategic plans include a strong focus on identifying and managing long term conditions, including through self-care. Large increases are predicted in the elderly, and particularly the very elderly, populations. This has significant implications for health care over the next five, ten and twenty years. Even if the general levels of health in these age groups continue to improve, the shape and structure of health services and housing offer will need to change to meet the needs of this growing population. Sunderland’s population makes relatively high use of hospitals, with standardised rates of elective admissions that are 40% higher than the England average and standardised rates of emergency admissions that are 18% higher than the England average. Page 10
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Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness
prevention strategy 2019-2021
Issues for the homeless population
Comparison of our local Homelessness Health Needs Audit undertaken in 2016 with the results of the
Homeless Link Health Needs Audit undertaken in 2015 shows the following key measures:
Measure Local Audit Homeless Link Audit
% who are male 68% 71%
% who are white 83% 89%
% reporting a disability 51% 36%
% who smoke 71% 79%
% alcohol problems 18% 27%
% drug problems 21% 41%
% physical health problems 52% 78%
% mental health issue 69% 86%
% registered with GP 91% 92%
% registered with a dentist 57% 58%
% admitted to hospital 33% 26%
% attended A&E 28% 35%
In summary, we know that in Sunderland, the homeless population:
• Is younger, more ethnically diverse, and has a higher proportion of males than the general population
• Has higher levels of key unhealthy behaviours (such as smoking, alcohol use and drug misuse) than the
general population
• Has high levels of both mental and physical health conditions, developing long term conditions earlier
than the general population
• Has the following top five physical health needs: joint and muscular problems, dental health, eye health,
fainting and blackouts, respiratory and circulation problems
• Has the following top five mental health conditions: depression, anxiety/phobia, PTSD, schizophrenia,
personality disorder
• Access to GP services is between 1.5-2.5 times more and access to hospital services is around four
times more than for the general population.
A summary of the high level health challenges for Sunderland is therefore as follows:
• Responding to changes to the population structure including fewer children and younger working age
adults, more elderly people and increasing ethnic diversity
• Tackling poverty through increasing employment and educational attainment
• Addressing teenage pregnancy, smoking during pregnancy, breastfeeding, child obesity and the mental
health of young people
• Tackling the big four lifestyle risk factors – smoking, excessive alcohol use, poor diet and low levels of
physical activity – including multiple unhealthy behaviours
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prevention strategy 2019-2021
• Preventing early deaths from cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease
• Tackling poor mental health through prevention and building individual and community resilience,
including programmes targeted at children and young people
• Managing the likely increase in the level of long term conditions, including increasing proportions of
people with multiple long term conditions
• Delivering better integrated care for individuals and reducing the over-reliance on hospital services,
through promotion and support for self-care
• Recognising and addressing the needs of people with poorer mental health and wellbeing.
All of these challenges are relevant to the homeless population, whose needs are even greater than those
of the general population. People who become homeless have some of the highest and costliest health
needs in the local community, but those needs are often overlooked when services are planned and
commissioned.
Homelessness is a complex issue that crosses departmental boundaries and is everyone’s responsibility
including health, social care, housing, criminal justice systems and welfare services.
Household income and poverty
Significant numbers of Sunderland residents receive one or more benefits/tax credits (the average would
equate to at least one claim per person). In 2015 the population of Sunderland was 277,200, of which
177,500 were working age. The total number of individual claims to all DWP/HMRC benefits/tax credits was
216,0005 (or 281,772 if the 65,572 Housing Benefit/Council Tax Support claims are also included).
The ongoing impacts of welfare reform in Sunderland therefore are potentially likely to exacerbate and be
exacerbated by a range of other factors given a number of structural issues linked to overall
health/disability indicators and relatively lower wages and employment levels than regional and national
comparators. These are reflected in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation.
• Sunderland is ranked as the 37th most deprived council in England, with 19% of its population in the
top 10% of the most deprived areas. (IMD 2015)
• Indebtedness: A 2016 Money Advice Service report detailed that Sunderland has the highest level of
Indebtedness in the northern region at 20.6% (with the national average as 16.1%). The report also
details that people are more likely to be indebted if they are younger; living in rented accommodation, a
single parent or more exposed to welfare system changes. The report also estimates that around 83% of
over indebted people do not seek advice
• The Financial Inclusion Commission reported that nearly 2 million UK adults do not have bank accounts
and that financially excluded people pay a ‘poverty premium’6 of £1,300 each year. 13 million people do
not have enough savings to support themselves for a month if they experience a 25% cut in income,
and 15 million people (31%) report one or more signs of financial distress
• 44.2% of households receive an income of less than £300 each week, 25.7% receive between £300
and £500 each week and 29.9% receive at least £500 each week.
5
216,000 is the number of claims for a range of benefit made, not the number of people claiming
6
The poverty premium is the idea that the poor pay more for essential goods and services. In the UK, the premium costs the average low income household £490 a year.
Page 12DRAFT
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Homelessness in Sunderland
Households approaching the council for help
Whilst the number of people presenting to the Sunderland Housing Options Team has increased when
compared to 2017-18, it is in the number of people being accepted as a result of the new duties where the
most significant/biggest increase can be seen.
There were 131 homelessness decisions in Q4 of 2017-18 (as shown by the now superseded P1E
statutory return). Q1 of 2018/19 (first HRA HCLIC statutory return) saw 367 homelessness decisions, with
130 New Act Prevention Duties7 and 196 New Act Relief Duties8 owed.
Q4 2017-18 figures also showed 115 people as Eligible but not Homeless, however figures under the new
Act show this number to have reduced to 40 in Q1 2018-19, suggesting people who would have been
previously classed as Not Homeless, are now being picked up under the other duties including prevention
and relief.
There was a peak in cases overall in Q2 of 2013-14 (59 cases), the numbers then steadily reduced back
down and from 2014-15 onwards numbers have remained stable with minor increases and decreases, with
the lowest number of cases being reported at 9 in Q2 of 2016-17.
Eligible, unintentionally homeless and in priority need
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
7
Where a local authority is satisfied that an applicant is threatened with homelessness and eligible, it must take reasonable steps to help the applicant secure that accommodation
does not cease to be available for her/his occupation
8
Where a local authority is satisfied that an applicant is homeless and eligible, it must take reasonable steps to help the applicant secure that accommodation becomes available for at
least six months
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Enquiries to Sunderland Housing Options Team
70% (Split by gender)
60%
Male
50%
40% Female
30%
20%
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Enquiries to Sunderland Housing Options team
(split by household type)
50%
45% 46.54%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
20.36%
15% 17.23%
10%
5% 3.95%
2.09% 2.09%
0%
Single person Lone parent Single person Couple with Male parent Single person
dependents pregnant
Male Female Female Male
Female Female
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The reasons for homelessness in Sunderland
Typically homeless people are thought of as those people who are sleeping rough. From a legislative
perspective however local authorities have a duty to assess and provide assistance to households who are
threatened with homelessness within 56 days. Homelessness can affect anyone at any time for many reasons.
Enquiries to Sunderland Housing Options team
(split by household type)
12%
11.42% 11.36%
10% 10.59%
10.15%
9.60%
9.22%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
Potential parent Potential Potential Relationship Not recorded Domestic violence
exclusion termination of relative/friend breakdown involving partner
assured shorthold exlcusion non-violent
tenancy
It is clear that there is not a one size fits all approach and we need to look at a range of solutions, with a
range of partners to meet a range of needs. Lack of housing is rarely the main reason that people present
to the Housing Options Team but where it is the main reason it is usually quite simple to deal with. Whilst
the main reasons cited for homelessness in the city might be loss of tenancy or relationship breakdown,
the majority of individuals who present would describe themselves as having needs including mental health
needs (sometimes diagnosed, sometimes not), physical ill health, offending history, being at risk of
domestic abuse or having substance dependencies. The combination of these factors, are the root cause
of their homelessness.
People can arrive at the point of homelessness after a long chain of life events where individual
circumstances come into play with wider forces such as poverty, unemployment and disadvantages and
often by the point of presentation they have reached crisis point. The wide number of factors that have a
complex interplay which each other and have resulted in an individual becoming homeless, need to be
reflected in our solutions. The strategic priorities and action plan set out within the second part of this
strategy will attempt to address some of the gaps and issues that have been identified.
Begging in Sunderland
Begging is a fairly recent phenomenon in Sunderland. Not all beggars are homeless but public perception
assumes they are. There are also perceptions that there are groups of professional beggars who are
controlled and given patches in rotation. Partners have raised concerns about anti-social behaviour and the
impact that begging will have on business, tourism and feelings of safety in the city centre.
As part of their Rough Sleeper Service in Sunderland, Changing Lives have been monitoring the increased
level of begging within the city centre. There are several reasons for the work, which are to identify the
reasons for street begging in Sunderland, to identify if there is a significant degree of homelessness among
the individuals and to engage the individuals to see if a change in their circumstances can be supported.
Page 15DRAFT Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness prevention strategy 2019-2021 A survey carried out in May 2018 of individuals begging indicated that the majority of beggars were ‘housed’ and just under 25% were street homeless. Of those housed, all, with the exception of one, were living in unsecured temporary accommodation. 3 of the 22 individuals who were engaged with were from outside the local area and were either in receipt of a dispersal order from their local authority or had been placed in temporary accommodation in Sunderland by their originating authority. Homelessness provision Changes in legislation and national policy have created real challenges for the city. We have had to think more innovatively about how we deliver quality housing services with fewer resources in particular for vulnerable households and homeless residents. Since the demise of the Supporting People Grant alongside the continued austerity measures imposed by the Government, this has severely impacted on both bed based and floating support type services in the city as well as low level preventative services. The unprecedented cuts and cost pressures over the last 8 years gave rise to a decision in 2016 to decommission some housing related support services. At the time it was felt that services could be delivered and funded in a different way and that the impact would not be too severe for service users. In many respects some of the legacy services that were in place have been forced to review their offer and as a result have transformed their approach to achieve positive outcomes. We have now had the opportunity to review the impact of this decision and recognise that we need to rebuild services, with a focus on creating opportunities for move on accommodation, in the context of additional finance not being available to do this. Commissioned accommodation for adults • 14 units for families with complex needs • Wearside Women in Need: 10 units • Spot purchase emergency beds in Salvation Army • Housing First: 28 individuals supported Commissioned accommodation for young people • 29 bed spaces for looked after children Non-commissioned accommodation • 112 bed spaces in unsecure temporary accommodation (private Houses in Multiple Occupation or hostels) • 92 bed spaces in temporary accommodation managed by Registered Providers • 75 bed spaces for young people with YMCA and Centrepoint • 79 direct access to leased accommodation with NACRO Page 16
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prevention strategy 2019-2021
OUR CURRENT APPROACH TO
PREVENTION, INTERVENTION
AND RECOVERY
Our challenge is to develop a strategy that builds on the foundations we already have in place to address
the ambitious targets that are set out within the Government’s Rough Sleepers Strategy across the themes
of Prevention, Intervention and Recovery. The table below shows the current services operating in the city
PREVENTION
First Tier Advice
Supporting people before they become homeless
Welfare reform
Work with Job Centre Plus
Troubled families programme
Emerging strategy with clear accountabilities
Domestic Abuse outreach
INTERVENTION RECOVERY
Rough sleeper navigators Housing First Pilot
Health navigators Commissioned accommodation
Voluntary sector support for families
WEAR Recovery Commissioned accommodation for
Spot Purchase Crash Pads people experiencing Dometic Abuse
Commissioned accommodation for
Care Leavers
Domestic Abuse outreach
We have mapped our prevention services – those services that tackle issues that can lead to homelessness
by providing timely support for those at risk. We are strong in our approach to supporting people who may
be adversely affected by welfare reform and have mechanisms in place to work with complex families as
well as specialist support for those experiencing domestic abuse, however demand still far outstrips supply.
We want to put prevention at the centre of service delivery and stopping people from becoming homeless
in the first place. We identify that there are gaps in terms of working more closely with the private rented
sector and mediating to prevent homelessness.
Page 17DRAFT Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness prevention strategy 2019-2021 We acknowledge that services designed to intervene for those who are already sleeping rough have been reduced resulting in an over reliance on unsecured temporary accommodation in the city. The strategic priorities section of this strategy will address the support that we need to put into place to meet individual circumstances quickly by working with partners to develop alternative forms of temporary accommodation. An integral part of our strategy is that in the longer term, those sleeping rough will be rapidly housed and offered comprehensive support to ensure their specific needs are addressed so that they can move into suitable permanent accommodation at the earliest opportunity. We are working with a range of partners to ensure that our approach to Recovery supports people to find a new home and rebuild their lives. Unsecured temporary accommodation (UTA) There are a number of private hostels within the city, particularly in the Sunniside area and surrounding locality that are providing UTA to almost 200 single homeless people at any one time, although the reality is that many individuals end up staying in the accommodation for long periods of time. The profile of clients living within UTA consists mainly of single homeless people, of which around 81% are male and 19% female. Their needs are becoming more varied and complex and there is concern that they require more personalised services than current provision allows for. In these UTAs individuals receive minimal levels of support despite the fact that many of them have multiple and complex needs and are at risk of rough sleeping, exploitation and exacerbation of existing health conditions. The concentration of unsecured temporary accommodation in the Sunniside area attracts low income and vulnerable households, leading to high levels of crime, anti-social behaviour, fragmented communities and high levels of transience and homelessness. The abundance of this kind of accommodation in Sunderland is likely to be masking a hidden rough sleeping problem, as individuals with the most entrenched lifestyles, who are often excluded from mainstream accommodation, form the majority of people who live there. Over the last few years real positive inroads have been made through the work of a Hostels Co-ordinator who worked with hostel owners to improve standards, minimise risk of exploitation through raising awareness of safeguarding and developing a better understanding of the needs of individuals who live there. Assertive in-reach carried out by Changing Lives as part of their Housing Response Service, provides welfare support to tenants in the hostels, identifying unmet health needs and providing trauma informed care and social engagement activities. More recently Hostel Managers have received training to support public health outcomes around the provision of Naloxone (heroin overdose antidote) within their premises and have taken part in Suicide Prevention training facilitated by Washington Mind. Oasis Aquila has been delivering day provision for homeless people or people who are in vulnerable housing since May 2018. The brief intervention service helps to meet the practical needs of individuals through the provision of showers and washing machines as well as engaging with other services to help deal with the route cause issues as part of an outcome based approach. During the period April 2018 to September 2018 the Housing Options Team made 81 placements in some form of temporary accommodation. 35 of these were in hostels including the Salvation Army, Poplar House, Barclay Lodge and YMCA and 23 were in Bed and Breakfast. The remainder were placed in refuges or other nightly paid accommodation. Housing Benefit data indicates that during the period between June and September 2018, 288 people lived in the Salvation Army, Poplar House, Barclay Lodge, Abbey Lodge and Tatham Lodge. Over the course of the 22 week period, the majority of tenants were in the property for most of those weeks, with some being there for all 22 weeks and out of 288 individuals, only 18 changed accommodation once during their stay. We do know that the number of people staying in the accommodation during this time will be higher than the 288 due to the proportion of people who finance their own stay or are funded through other sources. The remainder of people living within this accommodation will be self-referrals, presented from out of area or referred from another agency. It is estimated that 14% of people living in the hostels originate from outside of Sunderland. Page 18
DRAFT
Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness
prevention strategy 2019-2021
Supporting our most vulnerable groups
Survivors of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls
In Sunderland in 2017-18, there were 7,127 incidents of domestic abuse reported to the Police. Given that
domestic abuse is known to be under-reported (by around 50%), there are likely to be closer to 14,300
incidents per year in Sunderland.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales (2015-16) reported that the estimated the number of people who
have experienced any domestic abuse (partner or family non-physical abuse, threats, force, sexual assault
or stalking) since the age of 16 was 20%. Based on an adult population aged 16-59 in Sunderland of
around 160,000 it is estimated that approximately 32,000 people within this age group in the city may have
been, or are, currently affected by domestic abuse.
The 7,127 incidents in 2017-18 had 4,400 people attached to them and 578 were assessed as being at
high risk of serious harm or homicide. There were also almost 3,000 incidents with children involved who
are living with the domestic abuse.
Between April 2018 and October 2018, there have been 85 cases started by Sunderland Housing Options
Team which cited Domestic Abuse as the Settled Home Loss Reason.
• 64% of applicants fell into the ‘Already homeless’ - Relief Duty owed category.
• 30% of applicants fell into the ‘Threatened with homelessness’ - Prevention Duty owed category.
• The majority of applicants experiencing domestic abuse were aged between 20 and 40.
Domestic abuse settled home loss cases
(by age group)
37.65%
32.94%
16.47%
4.71% 5.88% 2.35%
17-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69
Domestic abuse has some of the highest levels of repeat victimisation of any crime at around 38% (where it
is reported) but research has shown that a victim will have been assaulted on average 35 times before they
seek help from the police.
The national policy framework is wider than domestic abuse, and is around tackling violence against
women and girls (VAWG). It is important to note that this policy framework does not exclude violence
against men and boys: it simply has a stronger focus on women and girls due to the root causes being
gender inequality and disproportionate levels of severity and frequency of abuse. VAWG includes:
Page 19DRAFT Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness prevention strategy 2019-2021 • Domestic abuse • Stalking and harassment • ‘So-called’ Honour Based Abuse and Forced Marriage • Female Genital Mutilation • Sexual exploitation • Some types of Modern Slavery such as trafficking people into prostitution of others or domestic servitude • Prostitution/sex work • Sexual violence and abuse. Many people experiencing domestic abuse may have a range of complex needs including: drug and alcohol dependency, mental ill health, learning and physical disabilities, alongside symptoms of trauma from the abuse they have experienced. They may be victims of other forms of violence and abuse, such as sexual violence, stalking and harassment, forced marriage etc. Some of the current challenges in Sunderland include: • the volume of referrals to specialist domestic abuse provision and capacity issues both within refuge accommodation and outreach provision • the accommodation and support needs for some groups of domestic abuse victims have traditionally not always been well met, for example issues specific to Black and Ethnic Minority women; employed women ineligible for housing benefit and for whom dispersed options are a more affordable choice than refuge; women with teenage sons who cannot access refuge accommodation; families with pets; older women and LGBT men and women • a shortage of appropriate and secure dispersed and move-on accommodation for victims with complex needs with specialist outreach and re-settlement support. Refuges are often unable to accommodate victims with complex and chaotic needs. Rough sleepers The current Government has made the addressing of rough sleeping a priority and has committed to ending it for good by 2027. People living on the streets are some of the most disadvantaged people in society – at risk of severe illness, violence and early death. Rough sleepers have an average life expectancy of 47 for men and 43 for women, compared with the national average of 79 for men and 83 for women. In Sunderland the level of rough sleeping is low compared to other cities. The most recent rough sleepers estimate, which took place in Autumn 2018, indicates that there were five people sleeping rough in Sunderland. This figure represents an increase from the count in Autumn 2017 which was zero and 2015 and 2016 when there were 4 rough sleepers counted. Rough sleeping counts and estimates are single night snapshots of the number of people sleeping rough in local authority areas. In the same year there were thought to be 51 rough sleepers in the North East region. The majority of these were in Durham, Newcastle and Gateshead. Between April 2018 and October 2018, there were 14 cases where rough sleeping was cited as the ‘accommodation’ at time of application to the Housing Options Team. This figure is evenly balanced with information gathered by the Changing Lives Homeless Response Service, and is likely to represent a more accurate picture of the amount of rough sleepers in the city. The two lines represent the figures for those individuals who claimed to have spent at least one night sleeping rough in Sunderland per month for 2017 and 2018. It is believed that reasons for the rise in 2018 includes exclusion from hostels, reluctance to register with the Housing Option Team and Housing Options Team having discharged their duty under the Homeless Reduction Act 2018. Page 20
DRAFT
Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness
prevention strategy 2019-2021
Individuals who claimed to have spent at least one night
sleeping rough in Sunderland per month
7
6
5
4 2018
3
2017
2
1
0
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
It must be recognised that homelessness is about much more than housing. Homeless people often have
complex underlying problems that can be worsened by living on the streets.
Sunderland has a large population of complex individuals living within unsecured temporary
accommodation. Many of these individuals are excluded from mainstream housing because of anti-social
behaviour, a history of criminal offences, or rent arrears. Coupled with this, many have a chaotic lifestyle
that is characterised by substance misuse and would make sustaining a tenancy difficult unless appropriate
levels of support were provided. If this accommodation, or a suitable alternative, did not exist it is likely that
the numbers of rough sleepers in Sunderland would be higher.
Individuals with multiple complex needs
Support for people with dual diagnosis or mental health and drug or alcohol addiction is extremely
complex to access. This is coupled with the fact that quite often the individuals who require the services
disengage themselves.
A large proportion of individuals who are rough sleeping or are vulnerably housed often have unmet
physical and psychological health needs. This client group is extremely costly on the NHS and the criminal
justice system due to the fact that individuals often present to services when they are in crisis and their
unmet needs are at their highest. Pilot projects such as Housing First have taken place in the city, working
with individuals with the most entrenched lifestyles, and have demonstrated the positive outcomes that
can be achieved by taking a needs-led, psychologically informed approach to trauma. Individuals receiving
the services have demonstrated improved access and appropriate use of health services and much
reduced interaction with the criminal justice system. Whilst the case studies are remarkable, there are large
gaps in terms of the number of people requiring services. A challenge is to become better equipped to
recognise and meet the needs of this group.
Sunderland has committed to the Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) approach to supporting people with
multiple needs. The MEAM approach provides the opportunity to bring together key stakeholders across all
sectors, to focus on fresh thinking towards identifying new approaches to tackling multiple and complex
needs in Sunderland.
The table overleaf shows the number of people who have one or more support need. By far the most
common support need is a history of mental ill health. This factor needs to be taken into account during
the design of any future services.
Page 21DRAFT
Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness
prevention strategy 2019-2021
Number of support needs per case
186
148
ONE
support
need
102
TWO
support
needs 57
34
THREE 12
support
needs 5 1 1
FOUR
support
needs FIVE
support
needs
SIX
support SEVEN EIGHT NINE
needs support support support
needs needs needs
Asylum seekers and refugees
As part of the process of assessing asylum seekers applications, asylum seekers are dispersed around the
country and temporarily housed whilst the Home Office decides on the asylum application and whether a
person can stay in the country. A dispersal policy was introduced by the Home Office in 2000 so that
asylum seekers could be accommodated in areas where there is a greater supply of affordable housing. 95
local authorities volunteered, including Sunderland. An advisory cluster limit of one asylum seeker for every
200 of the settled population was agreed.
Within the 12 North East authorities, Sunderland receives the 5th highest number of asylum seekers in the
region, behind Newcastle, Stockton, Middlesbrough and Gateshead. In Sunderland the numbers represent
0.14% of the population.
The Home Office signed six new contracts for the provision of these services, collectively called COMPASS
(Commercial and Operating Managers Procuring Asylum Support). G4S hold the contract for Sunderland
and in turn sub-contract to Jomast in the main as well as Live and Cascade for accommodation services. At
the end of September 2018, there were 389 bed spaces predominantly placed in four wards in the city,
located near the city centre and services. If asylum seekers are granted leave to remain in the country once
their application has been assessed, they have the option to stay in the city and the Housing Options Team
will help them find suitable accommodation under homeless legislation.
Between the period April 2018 and September 2018, 143 asylum seeker households moved into
accommodation in Sunderland and 138 households moved out. Of these, 56 (26 were family members
and 30 single people) received a positive decision to remain in the country.
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In 2017-18, 16 households presenting to the Housing Options Team cited their reason for homelessness as
a loss of National Asylum Support Service (NASS) accommodation. From April 2018 - September 2018,
seven households cited the reason. This indicates that only 12.5% of asylum seekers who are granted their
leave to remain choose to stay in Sunderland, suggesting that the majority choose to live elsewhere once
they have received this decision.
Our homeless data indicates that there are a slightly higher number of individuals from BME communities
who present as homeless than is proportionate to the numbers of BME communities living in Sunderland. It
is not clear what percentage of people presenting as homeless from the BME community have been asylum
seekers in the past but it is important to recognise the different support needs of this cohort who are more
likely to have dependent children and less likely to be experiencing issues around substance misuse.
Care leavers and young people
Together for Children (TFC) provide a wide variety of accommodation options for homeless 16-17 year olds
who are looked after, are a child in need or are care leavers. These young people are dealt with under the
Children’s Act 1989 which takes precedent over the Housing Act 1996. Homeless 16-17 year olds who opt
out of being ‘looked after’ go directly to the council’s Housing Options team to receive assistance under the
Housing Act provisions.
In reality this means that young people who are not looked after, children in need or care leavers do not
have access to the specialist commissioned accommodation in Sunderland.
Our processes have recently been amended to improve the journey for young people who are leaving care
and are approaching their eighteenth birthday, who are now supported to apply for housing through the
council’s housing register, by their personal advisor where they are given a reasonable preference, rather
than following a homelessness route.
Whilst some over 18’s who have been in care stay in their provision, others are placed in temporary
accommodation which is not local authority commissioned and where the levels of support are often
insufficient. We recognise that a growing number of young people have complex needs which need to be
addressed if their housing situation is to improve. Quite often young people lack the skills required to
manage a household in terms of budgeting and maintenance so it is important that we equip young
people with the necessary knowledge to be able to sustain their tenancy.
Following a recent visit from the Government’s Homeless Advisory Support Team (HAST), which recognised
the good practice of accommodation provision and multi-agency pathways, we are actively working
towards the implementation of an action plan that will result in closer working practices between the
Housing Service and TFC so that young people receive consistent information and will experience a more
seamless service.
Between April 2018 and September 2018 there were 27 HRA applications made by 18 year olds.18 cited
family no longer willing to accommodate as the reason for the loss of their settled home and five were
evicted from Supported Accommodation. The majority were living with friends or family at the time of
application, however seven were of no fixed abode.
Page 23DRAFT
Sunderland rough sleeping and homelessness
prevention strategy 2019-2021
Types of support needs relating to young people/care leavers
15
12
11
2 2
Young person Young person Young parent Care leaver Care leaver
aged 16-17 years aged 18-25 years requiring Requiring support to aged 18-20 years aged 21+ years
support to manage manage independently
independently
Veterans
There is a significant body of research on the subject of homelessness as experienced by veterans of the
UK Armed Forces, which helps to provide a good understanding of the size of the problem and the
experiences of those involved. Numbers of homeless veterans have fallen since the late 1990s and has
been attributed to a combination of reduced output from the Armed Forces, improved resettlement
provision and better intervention from ex-Service charities. Characteristics of homeless veterans are largely
the same as the wider homeless population but have been found on average to be older, have slept rough
for longer, be less likely to use drugs and more likely to have alcohol-related problems. Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been found among a small number of homeless veterans although other non-
military related mental health problems were more common.
Within the North East each local authority area has signed the Armed Forces Covenant. The covenant in
Sunderland reflects the city’s obligation to ensure that members of the armed forces, past or present, and
their families are not disadvantaged and that in some cases special consideration should be given to these
individuals. Sunderland City Council’s Housing Allocations Scheme and those of our housing partners
includes criteria to ensure that veterans will not suffer disadvantage from any residence criteria.
Between April 2018 and October 2018 there were four accepted homelessness cases for veteran families
in Sunderland and two prevention cases. Our knowledge suggests that these figures are much lower than
the real homeless picture for veterans in the city, many of whom would fall into the category of hidden
homeless and are sofa surfing or living in unsecure accommodation. There are a number of services
supporting veterans in the city who are experiencing homelessness, including:
• Changing Lives who support those who have been in the armed forces and are experiencing
homelessness. Between April and October 2018 they worked with 35 individuals of which 15 claimed to
be homeless the other 20 were at risk of eviction or homelessness. Their main work surrounds housing,
rehousing to more stable tenancies, supporting mental health issues and substance misuse (mainly
alcohol), GP registration and assistance with rent arrears
• Veterans in Crisis who work to identify and support veterans who are homeless, have alcohol or drug
dependencies, mental health issues or who suffer social isolation. Veterans in Crisis have developed a
local partnership with Gentoo and have successfully rehoused 29 ex-service men and women since
April 2018, who did not present to the council’s Housing Options Team.
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